i So 



The Wii v d Beasts of the World. By Frank Finn, B.A.. F.Z.S., etc. 



With K.ocoloured plates. Published by T. C & E- C. Jack, 16, Henrietta Street, Covent 



Garden, London, W.C. In 17 parts at 1'- each. 

 Strictly speaking-, this the latest work from the prolific and versatile pen of our 

 esteemed member, is outside the scope of our notices, but as most bird-keepers are lovers 

 of all wild life, I have pleasure in bringing- " Wild Beasts of the World " to their notice. It 

 is an edition De Luxe at a popular price : it is thoroughly up-to-date, and the treatment is 

 both scientific and popular Part I. is already published, it contains 6 coloured plates, viz. , 

 Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Orangutan, Hoolock Gibbon, I.ungoor Monkey and Guereza Mon- 

 key. The text and general get up certainly indicate that the complete work will form a 

 beautiful and interesting book. It certainly is a marvellous shilling's worth. 



JBMtorial. 



PAINTED FINCHES (Emblema picta). I much regret that success 

 has not attended our esteemed member, Mr. A. I,. Keith Murray, with this 

 species — the eggs proved nn fertile, they ceased to incubate on July 28th, 

 when he removed the eggs. I have received the following notes : " Two 

 " shell-less eggs were laid on August 13th, which the hen ate. They are 

 " very tame and are thinking of building again. The cock bird sat on my 

 " head yesterday (August 19th) during liberty hour." I may here remark 

 that my pair built, but the hen which had always been rather soft (liver 

 trouble) died before the actual laving of eggs. When the body was opened 

 there were found a number of eggs in various stages of development. I 

 hope other aviculturists may have been more fortunate. 



Later news from Mr. Murray, September iotli, is to the effect that the 

 Painted Finches are again sitting on another clutch of eggs; also that he 

 has Cuba Finches sitting close, young of Blue-breasted Waxbills in nest 

 and that Aurora Finches are sitting on two eggs, two having been taken by 

 one of the other birds. If the Blue-breasted Waxbills are reared I think 

 this will constitute a first on record for this country. 



REARING WADERS, ETC.: Taken as a whole, fine as the 

 summer lias been, the season has been but a poor one, that is from the stand- 

 point of breeding results. Personally I have had more eggs fail to hatch 

 than I can remember in any other year of my avicultural experience — the 

 excessive dry weather covering a long period, I deduce, is not favourable 

 for hatching results, save perhaps for some of the Australian Finches. 

 This experience seems to be pretty general, for in response to my enquiries 

 many aviculturists tell the same story. The following items will probably 

 interest many readers — they are extracts taken from a letter received from 

 our esteemed member, Mr. H. Wormald. 



'• My breeding results being very poor— I got five young from a com- 

 " 111011 hen Bullfinch paired to a pure white male with pink breast, but these 

 " were forsaken after 12 days hatching; exactly the same occurred with my 



